Fuling Pickled Mustard Tuber Extends Its Market Reach to Over 50 Countries and Regions

Employees were seen working in the smart production workshop at Chongqing Fuling Zhacai Group Co Ltd on August 21, 2024. (Photo by Zhang Jinhui/Visual Chongqing)

Chongqing—On the morning of December 11, Zhao Kaiyu, head of the international business division at Chongqing Fuling Zhacai Group Co Ltd, had just opened his WeChat when he saw an inquiry from an international client. He quickly compared the inquiry with the latest product price list and responded accordingly.

"Just now, another customer added two more containers," Zhao said, unable to hide his excitement.

Zhacai, or pickled mustard tuber, is a popular snack in China. It is from the Fuling district in Chongqing. It is commonly used to enhance the flavor of dishes such as meat, vegetables, and sometimes noodles and porridge.

This year, Fuling Zhacai Group's exports have surged. The company expanded into existing markets like Japan, South Korea, Europe, and the U.S. while also exploring new regions. In 2024, the company's export revenue reached over 65 million yuan ($8.92 million), a 20 percent increase from the previous year.

Let the product speak for itself

Hong Kong client Alen is one of the new customers Zhao secured this year. "Hong Kong has always been our largest export market. This year, we collaborated with local media to plan elevator advertising campaigns, increasing the promotion of the 'Wujiang' brand," Zhao said.

After working in foreign trade for seven or eight years, Alen holds purchasing agency rights for several large supermarkets in Hong Kong. Earlier this year, he happened upon an elevator advertisement for "Wujiang" pickled mustard tubers in an office building. The keywords "low salt" and "dietary" immediately caught his attention.

At the time, a supermarket Alen was working with was preparing to replace its current side-dish pickles. The supermarket's target customers were young professionals, and the products focused on "light meals" and "health." Alen quickly realized that this aligned perfectly with the "Wujiang" brand, which led him to consider supplying the product.

After several attempts, Alen finally contacted Zhao. Initially, he ordered over 200,000 yuan worth of red oil pickled mustard tuber, unsure of its performance. To his surprise, the market response far exceeded expectations, and he restocked three times in just one month.

As a result, he became an authorized first-tier distributor for Fuling Zhacai and developed numerous sub-distributors in Hong Kong. In 2024 alone, Alen's efforts brought nearly 10 million yuan in sales to Fuling Zhacai.

Facing intense market competition, Fuling Zhacai Group has focused on improving its core capabilities. It has upgraded its production lines and continuously innovated its production processes, exploring salt-reduction technology, pasteurization, and aluminum foil preservation. This has helped strengthen Zhacai's reputation as a "national appetizer."

"Strength is our secret to developing overseas markets," Zhao said. This year, the company increased the brand's overseas visibility by running elevator ads in Hong Kong and partnering with Japan's TV station to feature the brand in shows and guest interactions. It even placed a massive advertisement on the electronic screen in New York's Times Square.

Through diverse marketing strategies, Fuling Zhacai Group has let its products speak for themselves, showcasing the blend of traditional craftsmanship and modern food processing, quickly opening up the market and winning widespread favor.

Going beyond the Chinese community

Japan has become one of the fastest-growing markets this year, with "Wujiang" brand Zhacai sales increasing by over 30 percent year over year in the first three quarters. The mild, low-salt varieties make up over 90 percent of the total market share in Japan.

Chongqing Fuling Zhacai Group Co Ltd is seen on August 21, 2024. (Photo by Zhang Jinhui/Visual Chongqing)

This impressive market performance was no accident. Fuling Zhacai Group began entering Japan seven or eight years ago, but it was only available in Chinese supermarkets for a long time and was limitedly accepted by local consumers. 

It wasn't until last year that the company started targeting the Japanese mainstream market. By collaborating with large distributors, it successfully entered local convenience stores like 7-Eleven, FamilyMart, and Lawson in Tokyo.

However, soon after the products were launched, the company received numerous complaints from Japanese consumers: some elderly customers called to ask why the Zhacai got stuck in their teeth, others felt the taste was too salty, and some even complained that the bottle caps were too tight to open.

"Japan has a serious aging population, and many of the issues we encountered were things we'd never faced in our domestic production. This left us in a very passive position," Zhao said.

Zhao and his team conductedextensiveh research and made many improvements. The company then reduced the saltiness of the product and switched from shredded to sliced pickled mustard tuber for exports to Japan, ensuring that even elderly consumers could eat it without it getting stuck in their teeth. It also addressed the bottle cap issueby precisely controllingl the torque between the cap and bottleneck, allowing consumers to twist it ope easilyn.

Thanks to these product adjustments, customer satisfaction in Japan has steadily improved, and many local consumers have now incorporated Zhacai into their daily meals.

"In recent years, we've developed localized strategies for different countries, gradually moving beyond the Chinese community and integrating into the mainstream markets," Zhao said.

Zhao explained that the Zhacai exported to South Korea is much spicier, while the products entering the U.S. market are larger and have simpler packaging.

Aside from Japan, Fuling Zhacai Group has also seen significant growth in South Korea and the U.S. markets this year. Particularly since the winter, with the sharp rise in prices of fresh Korean radishes and cabbage, many Korean food service companies have turned to Chinese products as substitute ingredients, significantly boosting the company's exports.

Fuling Zhacai Group's global export map now spans over 50 countries and regions. "In recent years, we've actively participated in major national trade fairs to explore new markets for Zhacai exports. Our network is expanding," said Zhao.

Zhao further stated that, moving forward, the company will continue to grow its international customer base and work towards bringing Zhacai products to the mid-to-high end of the global industrial and value chains.

(Zuo Liyun and Zhang Jinhui, reporters from Chongqing Daily, contributed the Chinese version of this report.)